Exhaust gas purifier



June I, 1965 J DOLFl, s 3,186,164

EXHAUST GAS PURIFIER Filed Sept. 3, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 l8 /2 James J. Da/fi, Sr.

x INVENTOR.

June 1, 1965 J, J, DOLFl, 5 3,186,164

EXHAUST GAS PURIFIER Filed Sept. 5, 1963 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 4a 44 i I e 34 1 6 38 5 30 4 /02 5 v i 0 t 8 1 James J. Do/f), .Sr.

INVENTOR.

BY MME% June 1, 1965 J. J. DQLFI, sR

EXHAUST GAS PURIFIER 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 3, 1965 James J. Da/fi, .Sr.

INVENTOR.

40gb. BY an Fig.4

United States Patent 3,186,164 EXHAUST GAS PURIFIER James J. Dolfi, Sr., 2750 Arlington Ave., Apt. F, P. O. Box 434, Torrance, Calif. Filed Sept. 3, 1963, Ser. No. 306,146 9 Claims. (Cl. 68-36) This invention relates to a novel and useful exhaust gas purifier and more specifically to a purifier designed primarily to cleanse the exhaust gases discharged from an internal combustion engine.

However, the apparatus of the instant invention is suitably adapted to cleanse any gases delivered thereto under pressure and may be, by receiving motive power from an external source other than gases under pressure, also utilized to cleanse unpressurized gases communicated therewith.

The exhaust gas purifier of the instant invention includes a turbine assembly including a housing having an inlet and outlet and the inlet of the housing is adapted to be communicated with a source of exhaust gases under pressure and a rotatable turbine wheel is journalled in the housing and operatively communicated with the inlet thereof so as to be rotated by the exhaust gases entering the turbine housing. The purifier also includes a vacuum chamber including an inlet and an outlet and air pump means is disposed in the vacuum chamber and operatively communicated with the outlet for pumping air out of the vacuum chamber. The rotatable turbine wheel is drivingly connected to the air pump means and a cleansing fluid reservoir including inlet and outlet means disposed below and above the liquid level in the reservoir respectively has its outlet communicated with the vacuum chamber inlet and its inlet also communicated with the source of exhaust gases. In this manner, .a portion of the exhaust gases will pass through the turbine housing and effect rotation of the turbine wheel which will in turn effect operation of the air pump means, which means will then pull the exhaust gases communicated with the liquid reservoir inlet through the inlet and up through the liquio within the reservoir before being exhausted therefrom By this means, the exhaust gases to be treated will be bubbled upwardly through the cleansing liquid in the reservoir, which cleansing liquid may be of any suitable type.

The main object of this invention is to provide an exhaust gas purifier which may be readily adapted for use in substantially any environment where it is desired to cleanse gases.

A further object of this invention is to provide an exhaust gas purifier particularly well adapted to be utilized in cleansing the exhaust gases discharged from an internal combustion engine.

Still .another object of this invention is to provide a gas purifier including means by which its operation may be effected by the pressure and momentum of the source of exhaust gases communicated therewith.

A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide an exhaust gas purifier in accordance with the vpreceding objects which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and easy to use so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long lasting and relatively trouble free in operation.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the exhaust gas purifier of the instant invention;

Patented June 1, 1965 FIGURE 2 is a diagrammatic top plan view of the exhaust gas purifier shown operatively connected to the exhaust system of an internal combustion engine;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical sectional view on an enlarged scale and taken substantially upon the plane passing through the center of the exhaust gas purifier;

FIGURES 4, 5 and 6 are horizontal sectional views of the exhaust gas purifier taken substantially upon the planes indicated by the section lines 4-4, 55, and 6e respectively of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 7 is a side elevational view of the exhaust gas purifier on somewhat of a reduced scale.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings the numeral 10 generally designates the exhaust gas purifier which may be seen in FIGURE 2 of the drawings operatively communicated with the exhaust system generally referred to by the reference numeral 12 of an internal combustion engine 14. The exhaust system 12 includes a pair of exhaust headers 16 and 18 which are connected to a suitable foreshortened tail pipe 20.

The exhaust gas purifier of the instant invention includes a cylindrical base portion defining a liquid reservoir generally referred to 'by the reference numeral 22 and including a bottom wall 24 and upstanding cylindrical side walls 26. The liquid reservoir 22 further includes an annular top wall 28 which supports an upstanding cylindrical housing 30. The lower section 32 of the cylindrical housing defines a vacuum chamber and the upper section 34 of the housing 30 defines a turbine assembly 36. The turbine assembly 36 is separated from the vacuum chamber by means of a partition wall 38.

An upstanding shaft 40 is journalled for rotation from the partial top wall 28 by means of a bearing journal 42 and from the top wall 46 by means of a bearing journal 44 supported from the top wall 46. In addition, thrust bearings 48 and 5t are carried by the upper and lower ends respectively of the shaft and it is to be appreciated that a fluid seal is formed between the partition wall 38 and the shaft 40.

The partial top wall 28 has a plurality of radially extending and circumferentially spaced openings 52 formed therein which are axially aligned with a turbine wheel 54 secured to the lower end portion of the shaft 40. The shaft 40 projects into the liquid reservoir above the liquid level 56 therein,- and is provided with a blade assembly 58 defining air pump means for effecting a fiow of fluid upwardly through the vacuum chamber defined by the lower section 32.

The turbine assembly 36 includes an inner cylindrical wall 60 which closely embraces the turbine wheel 62 mounted on the upper end of the shaft 40 for rotation therewith and disposed within the upper section 34. The upper section 34 of the cylindrical housing 30 has a pair of inlet tubes 64 and 66 secured thereto and projecting outwardly therefrom. The outlet end of the foreshortened tail pipe 20 forms the inlet end of an inlet pipe 68. The outlet end of the inlet pipe 68 is perforated as at 70 and is loosely telescopically received within the inlet tube 66. The outlet end portion of the inlet pipe 68 passes through an opening 72 formed therefor in the upper section of the cylindrical housing 30 and opens through an opening 74 formed in the inner cylindrical wall 60. Thus, exhaust gases passing through the inlet pipe 68 will impinge on the blades 76 of the turbine wheel 62 and cause rotation of the latter. The turbine housing 36 includes an outlet pipe 78 which is similar to the inlet pipe 68 and which opens at its inlet end through an opening 80 formed in the inner cylindrical wall 60 and passes through an opening 82 formed in the upper section of the cylindrical housing 30. The outlet end portion of the outlet pipe 78 is apertured as at 84 3 and is loosely telescopically received within the inlet tube 64.

Each of the inlet tubes 64 and 66 includes a branch tube 86 which communicates the closed ends of the inlet tubes 64 and 66 with the interior of the liquid reservoir 22 below the liquid level 56 by passing downwardly through the partial top wall 28 and terminating below the liquid level 56 and a spaced distance above the bottom wall 24.

The vacuum effected in the liquid reservoir 22 by means of the air pump means 58 and the openings 52 pulls the exhaust gases through the branch tube 86 and the inlet tube 66 and upwardly through the cleansing liquid 90. The turbine wheel 54 creates considerable turbulence in the upper portion of the liquid reservoir 22 and inasmuch as the end of the inlet tube 66 remote from the housing 30 is open to the ambient atmosphere, the vacuum effected by the air pump means 58 in the liquid reservoir 22 also draws fresh air into the liquid reservoir 22 between the inlet pipe 68 and the inlet tube 66. In this area, portions of the exhaust gases passing through the inlet pipe 68 commingle with the incoming fresh air as they pass through the aperture 70. In addition, the expended exhaust gases exiting from the turbine assembly 36 via the outlet pipe 78 pass outwardly through the aperture 84 and the open end of the outlet pipe 78 and comrningle with fresh air entering the end of the inlet tube 64 remote from the housing 30, the exhaust gases and fresh air then being pulled downwardly through the branch tube 86 and into the liquid reservoir 22.

The partial top wall 28 includes an inlet and outlet fitting 94 which may be opened whenever desired to empty the cleansing liquid from the liquid reservoir 22 or to fill the latter with a fresh supply of cleansing liquid.

With attention now invited to FIGURE 7 of the drawings it may be seen that the upper end of the shaft 40 may project upwardly through the top wall 46 and have a pulley 98 mounted thereon to which power from an external source may be transmitted by means of an endless flexible belt 100.

If it is desired, the outlet end of the outlet pipe 78 may have a reverse bend formed therein and the adjacent section of the inlet tube 64 may be diametrically enlarged to accommodate such a reverse bend. With this type of construction the inertia of the gases passing outwardly of the outlet pipe 78 will not oppose the entrance of fresh air into the inlet end of the inlet tube 64 but will act as a pump to further speed the passage of the exhaust gases and fresh air from the ambient atmosphere through the inlet tube 64.

It is to be understood that the exhaust gases being bubbled up through the cleansing fluid 90 will be cleansed to a great degree and therefore that the cleansing fluid 90 will have to be changed or filtered at predetermined intervals to maintain the efiiciency of the exhaust gas purifier at a high level. Further, after the exhaust gases to be cleansed have passed upwardly through the lower portion of the vacuum chamber 32, the air pump means 58 in the cylindrical housing 30 will pump the cleansed gases outwardly through the outlet pipes 102 and 104.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it isnot desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. An exhaust gas purifier including a turbine housing having an inlet and an outlet, said inlet adapted to be communicated with a source of exhaust gases under pressure, a rotatable turbine wheel disposed in said housing and operatively communicated with said inlet for rotation by the exhaust gases entering said inlet, a vaccum chamber including an inlet and an outlet, air pump means operatively communicated with said vacuum chamber outlet for pumping air out of said vacuum chamber, a cleansing liquid reservoir including inlet and outlet means disposed below and above the liquid level in said reservoir respectively, means communicating said reservoir outlet means with said vacuum chamber inlet, means adapted to communicate said reservoir inlet with said source of exhaust gases, said turbine wheel being drivingly connected to said air pump means.

2. The combination of claim 1 including means communicating said turbine housing outlet with said liquid reservoir inlet means.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said turbine housing inlet includes inlet means for said liquid reservoir operable for routing some of the exhaust gas passing therethrough into said liquid reservoir below the liquid level therein.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said turbine housing inlet also includes inlet means for said fluid reservoir operable for admitting quantities of the ambient atmosphere into said liquid reservoir below the liquid level therein.

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein said turbine wheel is mounted on a shaft journalled in said housing, one end of said shaft projecting outwardly of said housing and having a drive wheel mounted thereon adapted to be drivingly connected to a power shaft.

6. The combination of claim 1 wherein said turbine wheel is mounted on a shaft journalled in said housing, a first end of said shaft projecting outwardly of said housing and into said vacuum chamber and having a bladed wheel mounted thereon in said chamber comprising said air pump means.

7. The combination of claim 6 wherein said first end of said shaft projects through said chamber and into said reservoir and has a second bladed wheel mounted thereon in said reservoir above the liquid level therein.

8. The combination of claim 1 including means communicating said turbine housing outlet with said liquid reservoir inlet means, the last mentioned means also including inlet means for said liquid reservoir operable for admitting quantities of the ambient atmosphere into said liquid reservoir.

9. The combination of claim 1 wherein said liquid reservoir includes liquid inlet and outlet means for changing the supply of liquid in said reservoir.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,032,968 5/62 Novak et al. 6030 3,058,299 10/62 Dean 60-30 3,116,596 1/64 Boehme et al. 60-30 JULIUS E. WEST, Primary Examiner. 

1. AN EXHAUST GAS PURIFIER INCLUDING A TURBINE HOUSING HAVING AN INLET AND AN OUTLET, SAID INLET ADAPTED TO BE COMMUNICATED WITH A SOURCE OF EXHAUST GASES UNDER PRESSURE, A ROTATABLE TURBINE WHEEL DISPOSED IN SAID HOUSING AND OPERATIVELY COMMUNICATED WITH SAID INLET FOR ROTATION BY THE EXHAUST GASES ENTERING SAID INLET, A VACCUM CHAMBER INCLUDING AN INLET AND AN OUTLET, AIR PUMP MEANS OPERATIVELY COMMUNICATED WITH SAID VACUUM CHAMBER OUTLET FOR PUMPING AIR OUT OF SAID VACUUM CHAMBER, A CLEANSING LIQUID RESERVOIR INCLUDING INLET AND OUTLET MEANS DISPOSED BELOW AND ABOVE THE LIQUID LEVEL IN SAID RESERVOIR RESPECTIVELY, MEANS COMMUNICATING SAID RESERVOIR OUTLET MEANS WITH SAID VACUUM CHAMBER INLET, MEANS ADAPTED TO COMMUNICATE SAID RESERVOIR INLET WITH SAID SOURCE OF EXHAUST GASES, SAID TURBINE WHEEL BEING DRIVINGLY CONNECTED TO SAID AIR PUMP MEANS. 